IRSA International Conference
It was my pleasure to attend the 20th Indonesian Regional Science Association (IRSA) International Conference.
An this event, I gave a presentation titled the Use of Information, Communication, and Technology (ICT) and Credit to Help Females Exit from Poverty: Evidence from Indonesia. The authors of this study are Thomas Soseco, Isnawati Hidayah, Nila Cahayati, and Fajar Try Leksono.
This study analyses how ICT and credit access reduce poverty among female-headed households in Indonesia, especially in rural areas. Using Indonesian Susenas data and a Multidimensional Poverty Index, it finds that female-headed households face higher poverty than male-headed ones. ICT and credit access help alleviate poverty, but barriers like digital literacy gaps persist.
Policies should expand ICT infrastructure, improve digital skills, and promote financial inclusion, particularly for rural women. Reducing gender disparities is crucial for sustainable poverty reduction. Future research should examine poverty’s links with ethnicity, disability, and regional differences.
During this event, my colleague from Universitas Negeri Malang, Febry Wijayanti, Ph.D., presented our paper titled Addressing Educational Outcomes and Child Labour through Early Parental Marriage Policies and Spatial Interventions. This paper was authored by Thomas Soseco and Febry Wijayanti.
The study focuses on children in Indonesia who face risks like violence, forced marriage, and child labour. Parents who marry young often lack resources to protect their children, leading to more school dropouts and child labour, especially in poorer families. This study uses Indonesian Susenas data to show that early parental marriage and low income increase child vulnerability, with patterns spreading across regions. Policies should aim to delay marriage age and focus on regions with high child labour and low school attendance (TS).